


1. Reno's Story

by Maria_smith



Series: Tales From The Slums [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-29 21:48:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20089297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maria_smith/pseuds/Maria_smith
Summary: This story details Reno’s first run in with the Turks.





	1. Chapter 1

noIt’s hard to imagine the outside world when all you’ve ever known is the slums—a city beneath a city full of crime, poverty, garbage, and death. Everyone lived in shacks made from rundown buildings, debris, and scrap metal. The most common occupation is labourer, shopkeep, prostitute, or gang member—if you call that a job—and everyone else was either a drunk, unemployed, or a thief.

Reno lived his entire life in the slums. He had never even seen a tree or frolicked in nature. But Reno never resented living in the slums because it was all he had ever known. It also helped that Reno had a loving parent to raise him. Reno knew his mother tried to do the best she could, she gave him a roof over his head and food on the table, although the cuisine did more to fill the stomach than provide any nutritional value.

The problem with being a female in the slums is that even if you wanted to work an honest job, the only employment available for a woman is prostitute, seamstress, waitress, or stripper. Sure, some lucky women were able to own a business selling the clothes they made or run a bar, but that usually required a lot of start-up money or connections of some sort.

The only place Reno’s mom was able to find employment was as a waitress at a strip club in their sector. As a waitress, she usually didn’t have to strip, but if one of the girls failed to show for their shift, the boss would make sure one of the waitresses would take their place. She tried to hide the fact that she was a stripper from her son, but Reno knew from the older kids in his neighbourhood and from overhearing comments from some adults.

Despite all this, Reno knew he had a good mom who did the best she could with what she had. His mom never brought home men, she never talked about her job, she didn’t do drugs or drink, and she made sure Reno knew he was loved. Reno knew how lucky he was and would never want to replace her, which was why, at just the age of seven, he was ready to fight to his death the night _it_ happened.

It started like any other night his mother worked. Reno would stay with Mary, she was his mom’s best friend and had a son Reno’s age. Reno liked spending his time at Mary’s house, it was the closest thing to a real family he as ever seen, and he felt safe there. Like always, it was late by the time Reno’s mom came by Mary’s house to pick him up.

When Reno and his mom were walking home that night, it felt like something was different, but at the time, Reno couldn’t figure out what it was. Looking back, Reno believed his mom also knew something was wrong because they walked home a little faster than usual. Everything after that seemed like a regular night; Reno would get a snack before bed, and they talked about his day. Then his mother would tuck him into bed and kiss him goodnight.

Reno had just fallen asleep when he awoke to a scream. He knew it was his mother’s cry, so he jumped out of bed and ran towards his mom’s bedroom. It was dark, but Reno knew someone else was in the room with her. Reno switched on the light and saw a man sitting on top of his mother as she laid on the bed half-naked, her face bleeding from the attack.

The intruder was a man in his mid-to-late twenties with dirty blond hair and tanned skin. He had dark eyes with circles under them. His man’s eyes were so dark you couldn’t tell where the iris ended, and the pupil began.

Seeing his mom lying defenceless and bleeding caused a wave of rage to rush over the boy as he ran across the room towards the intruder. The man effortlessly grabbed Reno by the neck and picked him up off the ground. Reno tried to free himself by squirming in the attacker’s grip. He struggled to breathe as the man proceeded to slam him up against the wall. Reno noticed the knife in the man’s hand when the man released him, causing him to fall to the floor, gasping for air.

The man kicked the child hard in the face causing him to fall onto his side. Reno tried as hard as he could not to cry as blood poured from his nostrils. The man did not say a word as he kneeled, coming face to face with Reno. He then grabbed Reno’s chin with one hand and rubbed a knife along the boy’s cheek with the other, not hard enough to cut it but enough so Reno could feel it.

The man smirked at Reno. “You’re never too young to learn how fucked up life can be, kid,” he said with a grin. “I’m going to make sure you never forget.”

The last thing Reno remembered from that night was the man’s dark eyes staring right through him and the sharp pain of his head hitting the wall.

Reno awoke the next morning, only having a faint memory of the night before. It did not take long before the memories started to return when he noticed the small puddle of blood on the carpet and felt a sharp pain coming from the back of his head. Reno could taste blood in his mouth, and his whole body ached. That was when he remembered his mother and looked left towards her blood-covered body on the bed. Every inch of him wanted to go over and try to wake her up, but he already knew it was too late.

The police never came down into the slums, so there was no one to call upon in emergencies unless you had family or friends willing to help. Reno only knew of one person he could go to for help, so he left his house to find Mary.

Reno was in such shock walking to Mary’s house that he didn’t even notice all the people staring at him as he walked down the street. Reno stopped at Mary’s house and knocked on the door.

Mary answered her door and was appalled by what she saw. Not only was Reno covered in blood from the broken nose, but he also had one deep cut under each eye.

Mary looked horrified. “Reno?” she whispered, both of her hands covering her mouth as she tried to hold back tears.

That was the last thing Reno remember from that day before collapsing on Mary’s doorstep.


	2. Chapter 2

_Four years later..._

By the time Reno was eleven years old, he was completely self-dependent. After his mother’s death, Mary offered to take him in. Reno lived with them for the first few months, but it always felt like he was intruding on their family. Reno knew there would always be a bed and a plate on the table for him at Mary’s house, but Reno felt guilty taking from a struggling household. Still, it was the closest thing he had to a family, and he would stay there on occasion for dinner or crash for the night.

Mary’s son, Rude, who was his best friend growing up, was now like a brother to him. They would spend their days looking for scrap metal to trade for things they needed or sell it for gil, but the two boys made most of their money doing jobs for the local gangs. The gangs would need runners to transport drugs and gil. They often used neighbourhood kids because the gangs were very territorial and for one member to step foot on another’s territory was a death sentence, especially for the well-known members. A rival gang would be less likely to target a kid form their neighbourhood. 

All the money Reno and Rude made together they would give to Mary to help the family, except for the odd gil or two they would spend on themselves. When alone, Reno would make money pickpocketing strangers and used it to buy food for himself. Any money he had leftover, he would give to the family. Rude had three sisters and a baby brother, so they needed the gil for food and to buy medicine for Rude’s middle sister, who had a chronic lung disease from all the air pollution.

Whenever Rude’s mother would ask where the money came from, they would always make up a different excuse. One day, Rude’s father happened to be there at dinner when Rude and Reno brought home some money for the family. When the two boys explained to Rude’s parents that they earned money selling used parts from the train yard, Rude’s dad looked a little skeptical but didn’t say anything. Rude’s father worked long hours fixing the train tracks on the lower Midgar plate. Shinra figured it was more cost-efficient to pay someone from the slums less than any worker from the upper plate was willing to work.

Reno and Rude’s friend, Kenny, was an older neighbourhood kid they grew up with and was a member of a Sector 2 gang called Mayhem. All their moms were friends growing up, so they had known each other since they were toddlers. Kenny would always offer jobs to Reno and Rude and paid them the most for transports. Kenny would always ask the boys if they wanted to join the gang, but they knew that joining one was like putting a target on your head. Once you identify with a crew, you become a target, and once you were in, it was nearly impossible to get out.

The day started like any other day, Reno and Rude spent the afternoon rummaging through the train graveyard. They were on the way home for dinner when Kenny came running up behind them.

“Hey, boys, I got a job that’ll pay some big coin,” Kenny said as the youths stopped to look back.

“What?” Rude asked, looking skeptical. The boys knew that any job that paid well was going to be dangerous.

“This job’s more for Reno,” Kenny explained, slapping the red-haired boy on the back. “My boss needs somethin’ lifted from a guy, and we all know that’s Reno’s department.”

“Who?” Reno inquired, a little curious. He always enjoyed the thrill of pickpocketing, and he knew if the job was going to pay big, it was going to be risky. He had been honing his skill over the last few years and felt ready for a challenge. 

“Word has it that some Turks are down in the slums lookin’ for somethin’, and I need you to lift a keycard from one of em’,” Kenny explained, looking a bit nervous.

Even though the slums were full of criminals, there were very few that were willing to steal from a Turk. Reno was the only person Kenny knew that was a good enough pickpocket and could get near a Turk without looking suspicious.

“How much?” Reno asked, raising one eyebrow. He knew what Kenny was thinking and wanted to milk this for as much gil as he could get. Reno noticed Rude looking at him in disbelief and knew his friend was not going to want him to do this.

“1000 gil” Kenny replied with a smug smile. Considering that a regular transporting job paid between 50 to 100 gil, depending on the area, Kenny expected Reno to jump at the offer.

Reno snorted, laughing. “Are you kidding!” he exclaimed as he turned and started to walk. “You want me to risk my life for a measly 1000 gil! I would want at least double that before I even consider messing with a Turk.” 

Kenny paused, considering the counteroffer as Reno continued walking away from him. Rude followed Reno as Kenny stood there contemplating.

“Wait!” Kenny called, holding his hand out as he signalled for the boys to stop. Kenny approached as the two boys turned around to face him. “My boss only gave me a thousand for the job, but if you’re successful, I’m sure I can get another grand. He really wants the keycard. Deal?”

Reno, not wanting to seem eager, paused for a second to think about the offer.

Rude looked nervously at Reno, not wanting his friend to engage in something so risky. He heard stories of the Turks from his dad and knew they would kill Reno if caught.

“Deal. So, where are they?” Reno asked. 

“I heard two of them were havin’ some drinks in Sector 6,” Kenny said before turning and walking towards Sector 5. “We better get goin’ before we miss them.”

The two younger boys looked at each other, then followed the older boy towards Sector 6. When the three arrived at the Wall Market Pub, they couldn’t help but noticed how busy it was in front. There were a few small groups of people standing around talking and drinking. Reno, Rude, and Kenny stopped in the alley next to the bar to discuss the plan.

“What do these Turks look like?” Reno asked, having never seen a Turk before.

“You’ll know ‘em when you see ‘em. Just look for the suits,” Kenny replied, glancing over at the people standing in front of the bar. “Boss said the keycard should be in their pockets or on a tether attached to their belt.”

Reno nodded, then glanced over at Rude before turning to walk towards the bar. Rude knew this was a bad idea, but he also knew there was nothing he could do or say to stop his friend.

The young redhead was lucky that bars in the slums didn’t have age limits or strict rules in their establishments. As long as you had the gil to pay, business owners didn’t give a shit, so it was not out of the ordinary for someone like Reno to walk in and order a drink.

Grabbing the bartender’s attention, Reno ordered his drink and placed the gil down while casually scanning the room for his targets, spotting them immediately. Taking a few seconds to size up his prey, Reno quickly formulated a plan and took a deep breath before setting it in motion.

+++++

The Wall Market Pub was particularly busy, even for a Friday evening. Tseng sat silently, gazing at the deprived people drowning their sorrows in the dark, dingy bar.

“I don’t see why we couldn’t just go back up top to have a drink,” the young rookie Turk commented to his superior.

“I kind of like this place,” Veld said, looking around. “Plus, we’re not clocked out yet. We still haven’t found what we’re looking for.” Veld took a sip of his beer and leaned back in his chair.

“I doubt she’s still in Midgar,” the young Turk commented while examining all the shady people around him. He then turned his attention back to his superior. “If I just escaped with my child, I would get as far away from this city as I could.”

“So would I,” replied Veld. “But that doesn’t mean she did. Hojo said that the woman was sick and weak. She probably couldn’t make if far even if she wanted to.”

Tseng sat back in his chair, realizing that he was going to have another long night. Tseng hadn’t been working with Veld for long, but he knew his superior well enough to know that they were not going anywhere until they found their target.

Catching his eye, Tseng turned his attention to a young boy with red hair that just walked into the bar. Tseng shook his head at the thought of kids running around drinking with no parental supervision. Tseng thought his hometown in Wutai was lenient with allowing teenagers to drink, but this was crazy. He watched as the young boy sat at the bar with his back to him and ordered a drink. Not wanting to watch the spectacle any longer, Tseng turned his attention back to his boss.

“One more, then back to work,” Veld said, laying his empty glass down. “I think it’s your turn to buy.” He motioned to his young partner.

“Yeah,” Tseng said as he reached for his wallet. He didn’t want another drink and needed out of this dump, but he knew better than to piss off his boss, who seemed to be enjoying himself. Tseng considered calling out for a refill but decided to go to the bar to avoid the slow table service. When Tseng approached the bar, he noticed the red-haired boy take his beer and walk towards a table. As the two crossed paths in the crowded bar, the red-haired boy was not looking where he was going and hit his left shoulder against Tseng’s arm. The contact caused the boy to drop his drink on the floor, sending beer and glass everywhere.

“Hey, watch where you’re goin’!” Reno called to the Tseng, who had stepped back to avoid getting his shoes wet. “You goin’ to replace that?”

“You’re too young to drink, kid,” the young Turk responded. “Why don’t you go home.”

Tseng continued walking towards the bar, not giving the young boy another thought. Reno frowned at the man and left the bar without saying another word.

When Reno exited the bar, he quickly glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him. Reno slipped a small pair of scissors back into his pocket along with the keycard. One good thing about growing up in the slums, he knew to keep certain items on him at all times, including a small and extremely sharp pair of scissors, a knife, a lock-pick kit, and materia. Having these items made him a master of his trade and could get him in or out of most situations.

Reno travelled towards his friends who were still standing in the nearby alley and continued to walk past them at a brisk pace.

“Did you get it?” Kenny asked as he followed the young redhead.

“Do you have my money?” Reno demanded. He stopped to look at Kenny, figuring they were a safe distance away from the bar.

“Like I said, my boss only gave me 1000 gil,” Kenny replied as he reached into his pocket, pulling out the cash. “The other 1000 we’re gonna have to get from him.” 

“Well, let’s go.” Reno handed Kenny the keycard while accepting the money.

“I don’t know how my boss will feel bringin’ you two by the clubhouse,” Kenny said, putting the keycard in his pocket. “But he’ll probably want to know who helped him get the last item he was after.”

With the job completed, three boys started to make their way towards Sector 2.

+++++

Inside the Sector 6 bar, the two Turks were nearing the end of their drinks and were ready to get back to their assignment.

“Where do you suggest we look next?” Tseng asked as the two finished their last sips.

“Well, since we’re going in order, the next stop is Sector 7,” Veld explained, placing down his empty bottle.

Veld and Tseng stood up to leave the bar. As Tseng raised from his seat, he put his hand on the tether clip attached to his belt and immediately noticed that his keycard was missing. Tseng looked around the bar to see if maybe his keycard was lying on the floor, but deep down, he knew that someone had to of lifted it.

“Someone took my keycard,” Tseng said. His mind raced as he tried to remember any recent encounters. He remembered having his keycard when they arrive in Sector 6, so he knew it went missing in the bar. Then he remembered his run-in with the redhead boy. “It must have been the boy that bumped into me. Why would a kid from the slums take my keycard and not my wallet full of gil?” Tseng questioned, perplexed about the whole situation.

“The kid must be working for someone,” the senior Turk informed the rookie. “You need to pay more attention in the future. Now we have to put our current mission on hold to look for this kid.”

Wasting no time, the two men hurried out of the bar to commence their search for the young thief.


	3. Chapter 3

It was particularly run-down underneath the Sector 2 plate, outnumbering the other slums in both excess garbage and crumbling infrastructure.

Kenny took the boys to a metal shack with a red door attached to several larger structures. It was one of the more impressive clubhouses compared to some of the other gangs. Kenny knocked on the door three times and kicked it twice, causing a slot at the top to open.

A pair of eyes peered out at three boys. “Who is it?”

“It’s Kenny, and I have two friends the boss wants to meet,” Kenny replied. 

The eyes shifted and gazed at Reno and Rude for a second before the slot closed, and the door opened.

An older boy with dark brown hair and brown eyes greeted them. “Get in,” he directed while stepping aside to let the three in.

Reno and Rude followed Kenny into a dimly lit, narrow hallway. Once the door behind them closed, the older boy pressed a switch that unlocked the door at the end of the hall. Kenny walked up to the door and entered.

“The boss is in the hideout,” the other boy informed Kenny as they walk into the clubhouse and shut the door behind them.

The clubhouse had everything a gang would need as a center of operations. There was a bar in the middle of the room well-stocked with liquor. There were tables and chairs with televisions hanging on the wall along with bulletin boards full of paper and another board with pictures of rival gang members. The room looked run down and damaged with bits of glass and debris on the floor like someone did a half-ass job cleaning. Their gang’s logo, names, and various tags were spray-painted on the walls along with crude drawings.

The first room only contained three people. One guy was standing at the bar making a drink, and in the back, a guy and a girl were sitting on a couch making out. They appeared to be oblivious to anyone else in the room. 

The boys followed Kenny towards an entrance in the back. He opened the door into a short hallway that led into a much larger room with high ceilings. As they walked between two shipping containers, they could hear what sounded like a crowd coming from inside the room. Reno could see an opening ahead of them, and the voices grew louder as they approached. Once through the opening, Reno could see a group of twenty-five to thirty people standing around another container with a small group of five people standing on top of it.

Reno’s eyes studied the five people standing in front of the crowd. He suddenly stopped in his tracks as soon as he spotted someone. Reno’s heart began to race at the sight of _him_. Even though he was only seven at the time, Reno immediately recognized him. The man with the dirty blond hair and tanned skin, he had aged a little in the last four years, but those dark eyes were unforgettable. A ball of rage began to build in Reno’s stomach, but he knew there was nothing he could do in a crowd this big without getting himself killed. Reno pulled up his sweater hood and put his head down. He didn’t want to risk the man recognizing the marks on his face, so he knew he couldn’t get too close.

Rude noticed that Reno had stopped and looked back to see what was going on.

“What’s up?” Rude asked his friend as he glimpsed over his shoulder to look at Kenny, who was still walking towards the group. Rude could tell that Reno was trying to hide his face and knew something was up. 

“It’s _him_,” Reno whispered to his friend as they slowly walked towards the group.

Rude didn’t need any more explanation. He knew he was going to have to take the lead and do the talking this time.

“Who are those two?” yelled a girl standing by the dark-eyed man.

Having signalled out Kenny and the boys, the whole crowd stop talking amongst themselves to look back.

“These two got the keycard for the boss,” Kenny said proudly while holding up the keycard.

The dark-eyed man narrowed his focus in on Kenny. “What are they doing here, Kenny?” 

“Well, it was such a dangerous mission, I kind of told em’ you would give an extra 1000 gil if they could get it,” Kenny said nervously. “You have to admit boss, it takes a lot of guts messing with a Turk, and these were the only guys I could find who would take the job.”

The dark-eyed man frowned at Kenny as he paused to think. He then turned around to a chest behind him and pulled out a bag, throwing it down to someone standing in the crowd.

“Give this to the kids,” the man said to one of his crew before turning his attention back to Kenny. “I know your young, Kenny, so I’ll let it slide, but next time you want to promise someone more money, you better run it by me first.” 

“Yes, boss,” Kenny said, nodding his head vigorously in agreement.

As one of the gang members handed the gil to Rude, the dark-eyed man gazed down at the young boys. “How would you two like to be part of our organization?” he asked, smiling. “We could use more people with your skills.”

“Thanks for the offer,” Rude said, speaking for the two of them. “But we find that we can better serve you by not formally associating with your gang.”

Rude glanced at Reno, who still had his head down with his hood covering his face.

“Gang?” the dark-eyed man said, sounding insulted. “We are far more powerful than any slum _gang_. And now that we have this keycard, we’re going to own the slums like Shinra owns Midgar.” As soon as he said that, the crowd roared with excitement but fell silent once the man raised his hand. “But, please explain to me how you can better serve us by not joining?” The man did not look thrilled about the rejected offer. 

“Well, you see, sir,” Rude said, choosing his words wisely. “We do a lot of running for Kenny on behalf of your _organization_. We find that it’s much easier and safer transporting packages if we are not associated with any particular group.” 

The man paused as he contemplated what Rude just told him. After a few very long seconds, the man smiled. “I like the way you think,” he said as a wave of relief flowed over the two boys. “We’ll be sure to request your services again in the future,” he said while looking at Kenny, who nodded in agreement. “Now, Kenny, will you please escort these two out of our clubhouse?”

Following his boss’s orders, Kenny walked towards the entrance with the two boys.

“Thanks, guys,” Kenny said to the two boys as they exited the clubhouse. “I was a little nervous for a second there, but it all worked out, eh?”

“What is your boss’s name?” Reno asked, eager to finally put a name to a face after all these years.

“He insists on calling him boss,” Kenny replied, looking behind to make sure no one was around. “But I heard someone call him Baker once. I don’t know if that is his name, though.” Kenny escorted the boys to the exit and closed the door behind them. 

As Reno and Rude walked through Sector 2, Rude couldn’t help but noticed the look on Reno’s face. He looked deep in thought.

“So, what should we do?” Rude asked his friend.

Reno new what Rude was referring to, and it was the only thing he could think of since he left Mayhem’s hideout.

“I have to kill him,” Reno replied, looking down as his mind raced.

“I know that, but how?” Rude asked. He had not seen his friend this upset since it happened four years ago. 

“We have to find a way to get him alone, and we can’t let him fulfill his plan to take over the slums.” Reno appeared more focused now and seemed to have a bit more fire in his voice as he spoke. “I wish I hadn’t lifted that keycard,” he complained, more pissed with himself than at the situation. Reno felt like an idiot helping the man who murdered his mother.

“You had no way of knowing he was the leader of Mayhem,” Rude replied, trying to comfort his friend.

“Listen, we need to head home,” Reno explained. “We’ll give your parents half the money and use the other half to stock up on supplies.” Reno’s mind was already formulating a plan on how to get this guy. Having thought of something, Reno stopped and looked apologetically at Rude. He couldn’t ask his best friend to risk their life for his vendetta. “I can understand if you don’t want to do—” 

“You know I am with you all the way,” Rude interrupted Reno before he could finish.

Reno nodded at his friend appreciatively. “We better get going,” he said, walking towards home. “We don’t know how long until they use that keycard, and we still need to figure out what they are going to do with it.”

When they reached their home in Sector 4, it was almost midnight, so everyone was sleeping.

“Mom’s going to kill me for coming home so late and not staying,” Rude explained, writing a note to let his mother know he was home and will be back soon. He put the gil next to the letter. While Rude was writing the letter, Reno grabbed some supplies.

“We need to go to Sector 7 to get some materia and weapons,” Reno explained, wanting to avoid the Wall Market. “Then we’ll go stakeout Mayhem’s clubhouse.” Reno continued explaining the mission as they exited the house. “Once he leaves the hideout, we’ll wait for a time to make our move.”

As the two boys walked through Sector 5 on their way to Sector 7, Rude had a thought. “We better be careful in Sector 6,” he warned his friend. “There might still be Turks in the slums. They could be looking for you.”

"We should stick to the back alleys and rooftops just in case," Reno suggested, agreeing with his friend's recommendation.

The two boys carefully made their way towards Sector 7. Sector 6 would have all the items they needed, but they figured it would be best not to stick around in that sector after Reno's run-in with the Turks.

Reno already owned a titan bangle filled with a maxed lighting materia. Since they only had 1000 gil, they picked up an iron bangle for Rude and a fire materia. They also purchased two potions for Rude and a grenade for Reno. After they secured the items, they made their way back to Mayhem's clubhouse while making sure to avoid high traffic areas.

The two boys found a remote spot on top of a rooftop near the clubhouse so they could get a bird’s eye view of the surrounding area. Knowing that the clubhouse extended through numerous buildings, the boys assumed there had to be multiple exits.

They waited for a few hours without any sign of movement until finally, they spotted four people exiting a structure near the hideout. Rude recognized them as the four people who were standing next to Baker. The boys figured if they followed these four long enough, they might get some information regarding their boss' plan.

Reno and Rude climbed down and followed behind the three men and one woman towards the train station. When they arrived at the platform, there was no one around besides the four gang members. The boys hid behind a pile of rubble out of sight but still close enough to hear them converse.

"This is my first time going to the upper plate," said the youngest looking male. "I'm not sure where to go."

"That's why I am going along to show you," the oldest looking male of the group replied. He was full of tattoos and had dark hair.

"I forgot which sector I'm assigned to,” the other man said to the group. He had a shaved head and multiple piercings on his face.

"You're assigned to Sector 3," the green-haired woman replied to the man, sounding annoyed with the question. "I'm Sector 1. Tommy and Snake are Sector 5. You better not fuck this up, or the boss will kill us," she added, glaring at the man.

"I still don't see how he expects to hit all three locations at once with the one keycard," the nameless man continued.

"Shut up!" the woman yelled, hitting the man on the head. "What the fuck are you doing talking about this shit out here in the open?" She lowered her voice as she glared at him. "If you were listing, you would know he doesn't _need_ the keycard to hit all the locations, just the one. Now don't say another word!"

Knowing they couldn't get on the train without being seen, the boys returned to their stakeout near the clubhouse.

"What do you suppose they’re planning?" Rude asked his friend.

"It sounds like he is going to use the keycard to hit some location up top," Reno suggested, not taking his eyes off the clubhouse and the door the four members exited from earlier. "Considering who we lifted the keycard from, we know the target is going to be Shinra owned, but why so many?"

Reno paused, waiting for his friend to say something. "Hey, Rude?" Reno asked, wondering why his friend didn't respond.

The redhead took his eyes off the clubhouse to look back to check on Rude. He was shocked to discover his friend held by a man with short black hair and scars on his face. The older Turk had Rude's mouth covered and a gun to his head. Standing next to the man was his target from earlier.

"How did you find us up here?" Reno asked, his heart racing. Out of all the rooftops in all the sectors, how did they know to check this one?

"We've been watching since one of our informants spotted you in the Sector 7 shop," Tseng replied. "Why are you stalking the people you gave my keycard to?"

"I'll tell you if you let my friend go," Reno replied, concerned for his friend’s safety. "He has nothing to do with this."

"How about you tell us, or we'll shoot him," Veld refuted, sounding annoyed with this whole conversation.

Reno looked at Rude and then at Tseng before answering. "If you must know, a member of that gang offered me a lot of gil to lift your keycard. But the gang leader is someone I gotta kill, and I didn’t realize this until after I gave them the keycard.”

Tseng looked at Veld, who had lowered the gun away from Rude's head but continued to aim it as he held the boy’s shirt.

"What now?" the young Turk asked his mentor.

"We're going to take them back to headquarters," Veld replied. He then proceeded to turn and walk away with Rude still in his grasp.

Tseng looked at Reno. "Let’s go," he said as he reached out and grabbed Reno by the arm.

Reno and Rude have never been to the upper plate before. They've never had a reason to go up top, but they heard stories from people who had once lived there before hitting hard times and moving below. If you couldn’t make it on the top plate, you had no choice but to move to the slums.

The two Turks escorted the boys to the top plate by train. It was a lot like Reno had imagined. The streets were full of working cars, and there were new buildings built high, like skyscrapers. It was dawn now, and Reno could see the sun starting to rise in the distance.

When the four reached the Shinra Headquarters located in the center of Midgar, Reno and Rude couldn't believe the size of the building towering over the city. They walk through the front doors and towards the elevators located in the back of the lobby.

Once inside the elevators, Tseng pressed the button for the 45th floor. They walked down a hallway and stopped at the door with a keycard lock. Veld took his keycard and opened the door, inside was a large room with multiple desks and a sofa and chairs in the back. To the right was a door leading to another office.

"I'll go advise the president of the situation and get you a new keycard," Veld informed Tseng. "You stay here with them," he added, motioning to the young boys.

The Turk leader left the room, leaving the three inside.

"Take a seat," Tseng directed, pulling two chairs up in front of a well-organized desk. The two boys sat down in the chairs while Tseng took a seat on the other side of the desk. "What do you know about this gang?" he asked the two boys.

"Not much," Reno replied, not wanting to give away too much information to the suit. "We've done the odd job for our friend who’s a member, but today was our first time inside their clubhouse and meeting their boss."

"Why do you want to kill him?" Tseng asked.

Reno frowned and fell silent for a few seconds while he decided if he should tell the Turk.

"He killed my mom,” Reno finally replied. He didn't like to talk to people about what happened, but for some reason, he didn't mind telling this guy. Reno had no clue why but figured it was because he was feeling bad for stealing from the guy and giving the keycard to the man that murdered his mother.

"Sorry to hear that," Tseng said, not sure what else to say. He kind of felt bad for the kid even though he was a thief and made him look like a fool in front of his boss. Regardless, Tseng couldn't let his pity for the boy get in the way. He had a job to do.

"Do you know his name?" Tseng asked the boys.

"We heard his name might be Baker," Rude replied, giving Reno a break from answering questions. "Even members of his gang don't know what his real name is. They’re all told to call him boss."

Tseng smiled at the gang leader's ego and cockiness, thinking he could mess with Shinra. "Well," Tseng said, looking at Reno. "I can't help you kill this guy, but I can assure you, he's as good as dead."

Reno frowned at the Turk. "Not if I get to him first.”

"Listen, kid," Tseng said in a stern voice. "Stealing from a Turk can get you killed or put in prison for a long time. But given your situation, I'm going to be nice and lock you up until I clean up this mess you dragged us into."

Tseng stood up from his desk and motioned to the boys to stand as well. He led them out of the room and down the hall to another room with no door. Inside, a security guard sat sleeping at a desk with a set of keys hanging on the wall hook behind him. Reno and Rude look to their right of the room to see two cells with metal bars.

Tseng cleared his throat, causing the guard to startle awake. He stood up quickly while putting his hand to his head in a salute.

"Yes, sir?" the guard asked.

"Put these two in a cell until I return," Tseng said to the guard, pushing the two youths forward.

"Yes, sir," The guard took the keys from the hook and directed the two towards the cells. He opened the furthest door from the entrance to allow the boys inside. "Anything else, sir?" the guard asked Tseng as he put the keys back on the hook.

"Actually, yes," Tseng replied, looking at the guard sternly. "These two boys are not prisoners, so don't treat them as such. Their incarceration is for their protection only. And if you could do me an extra favour?" Tseng asked the guard as he took some gil out of his pocket and handed it to him. "When you’re on your break, would you mind bringing them something to eat from the cafeteria?"

The guard hesitated for a second before replying, “Yes, sir.” He accepted the money from Tseng while appearing baffled. He put the money in his pocket and sat back down in his chair.

Tseng quickly looked back at the two boys in the cell and exited the room to find Veld. As Tseng left the room, he spotted Veld walking down the hallway ahead of him.

"How upset was the President?" Tseng asked as soon as he reached his superior.

"He appeared to be more concerned with the idea of a gang trying to take over the slums than the missing keycard," Veld replied as the two walked back towards their office. "He pays Corneo mounds of cash to keep the slums under Shinra's control."

"Well, this guy must be targeting the armouries," Tseng commented as they walked into their office. "Couldn’t we just change the access panel code so that the keycard won't work?"

"Remember what that minion stated down in Sector 2," Veld said, walking towards his office in the back. "They only have one keycard, and they plan to hit all three armouries." He sat down at his desk, checking his computer. "I don't think they need the keycard to get into the buildings."

"What else could the keycard be used for?" Tseng asked as he walked up to his mentor's desk.

"Here," Veld replied, pointing to his computer monitor. "There's a secure storage safe here in the Sector 5 warehouse. It's level A clearance and is on a secured network, meaning we cannot change the code on our system; it has to be done manually."

"That must be why they need my keycard," Tseng said, finally realizing their plan. "Only senior executives and Turks have level A clearance."

"We need to get a unit to each of these locations," Veld explained while grabbing an extra gun from his desk. "Call in all available Turks. I want one at each location while we head to Sector 5."

The two men exited the office and headed toward the elevator. As they walked, Tseng pulled out the PHS and sent a message to his fellow Turks.

"What's in the storage safe that's so important?" Tseng asked his superior as the elevator door shut.

"Apart from some powerful weaponry, the Sector 5 location has a dozen highly volatile mako bombs that weapons development created two years ago. Even the smallest bomb can destroy a whole city, and the aftereffects can be devastating for years. They are too destructive to use realistically, but President Shinra’s hunger for power prevented him from dismantling them. To store them safely, they created a failsafe that will flood the room rendering the bombs useless. Ideally, we need to activate the switch before they can leave the room.”

As soon as Veld finished explaining, the elevator door opened. The two Turks exited onto the main floor and hurried towards the Sector 5 armoury.


	4. Chapter 4

Shinra Security Guard Lance sat in his chair, bewildered. Tseng was a rookie, but even he should know that officers were not permitted to leave their post with the cells occupied. But then again, Tseng did say that these boys were not regular prisoners. Lance sighed in frustration. It was his break time, and he wondered if he should go to the cafeteria like Tseng suggested or follow protocol. He looked over at the kids who were now sleeping on the bench in the cell.

“What harm could they possibly do if left in a cell for fifteen minutes?” Lance thought to himself. Plus, the Turk did tell him to get food for the children. Finally making up his mind, Lance stood up and left the room towards the cafeteria.

As soon as the guard departed, Reno opened one eye and glanced over at the empty seat. "Rude, it's time to go," he informed his friend while shaking him to see if he was sleeping.

Rude sat up and looked around. "How do you suppose we get out?"

Reno smiled. "That Turk was an idiot,” he replied as he reached into his pocket. “He didn't even check our pockets before putting us in here.” Reno pulled out his lock pick set and grabbed two picks before walking over to the cell door.

"Always prepared, eh, Reno?" Rude asked with a big smile.

"Well, like I always say, you never know when you're going end up in a prison cell," Reno explained with a smile as he picked the lock. After a few seconds, they both heard a click, and the cell door opened. "C’mon, let's go," he said to his friend while putting the picks back in his pocket.

The two boys exited the room and down the hall.

"So, where do we go now?" Rude inquired as he followed Reno.

"First, we have to get out of this building. Then we have to find out which warehouse this Baker guy is targeting," Reno informed his friend as he pressed the button to the elevator.

As the elevator door opened, Reno and Rude were about to enter but stopped when they noticed a young boy with blond hair standing inside. The boy couldn’t have been more than fourteen or fifteen years old. He looked too young to be an employee, but he was well dressed in pristine clothes. He was holding a takeout coffee cup and still appearing half-asleep, having just arrived to work.

Not sure what to do, Reno and Rude looked at themselves nervously and stepped into the elevator. They were both praying that this kid was not going to rat them out. Reno pressed the button for the ground floor, and the doors closed. A few seconds of awkward silence passed before the unknown boy started to speak.

"Who are you, and why were you on that floor?" the boy asked with a raised eyebrow. The look on his face told Reno and Rude that he knew something was amiss.

"We’re guests, and we are going to get some food in the cafeteria," Reno informed the blond as his mind raced for an excuse.

"If that’s the case, you’re going the wrong way," the boy said, his smile growing. "Let me show you," he added as he reached over towards the button.

Remembering that the security guard was in the cafeteria getting food, Rude stopped the boy. "No, wait!" Rude said, putting his hand out before looking over at his friend. "We should tell him the truth, Reno. He might help us.” Even though the boy dressed like a spoiled rich kid, Rude was good at reading people, and he had a feeling this kid was not going to rat them out. 

Reno disagreed. He thought the kid looked like he was the son of some wealthy executive and Reno didn’t trust him. But Reno trusted his friend’s judgement, so he decided to follow Rude’s advice and tell the truth.

"The truth is…" Reno said, closing his eyes in frustration. "We are after the same guy the Turks are after, so they brought us here to make sure we stay out of their way, but I need to get to him first."

"Why?" the blond-haired boy asked, looking at little intrigued.

"I have to kill him," Reno answered.

The boy paused for a second thinking. “What do you need help with?"

"They are hitting three warehouses simultaneously, but we have no way of knowing which one the main target is," Rude explained. He was initially only going to ask for help getting out of the building but figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

"I might be able to help you, but only if you do something for me," the clean-cut boy explained. He had his finger on the elevator button but refused to press it as he waited for a reply.

"Sure, what?" Rude asked. He couldn’t think of anything they could offer this kid, but whatever it was, he figured it couldn’t be that bad.

The boy grinned and pressed the button for the 12th floor. "I want to go with you."

"What's your name?" Reno asked as the elevator door opened to the 12th floor. He thought this kid was crazy, wanting to help them kill someone. But Reno wasn't going to question it. He knew they were going to need all the help they could get.

"Rufus," the blond boy replied. "What's yours?"

"I'm Rude, and this is Reno," Rude introduced as they stepped off the elevator.

"What are we doing here?" Reno asked, looking around the long hallway.

"I have a computer that should be able to help," Rufus explained. “If one of the Turks searched for any information on their computer, I will know about it.”

The two boys followed Rufus down the hallway to the fourth door and swiped his keycard to enter the room. On the left side was a computer desk, and in the center of the room was a big screen TV hooked up to a gaming console with a leather reclining chair in front of it. There was also a big gun safe in one right side corner of the room and a punching bag on the left side. Rufus walked over to the computer, then sat in the chair and started typing.

"Which Turks were you with?" Rufus asked the boys.

"One was an older guy with short dark hair and scars on his face," Reno explained as he stood behind Rufus, looking over his shoulder. "The other was a younger guy with dark hair and a mark on his head."

"You're talking about Veld and the new guy," Rufus explained. "I think his name is Sing or something." He started typing on the computer as Reno continued watching. "The last thing Veld searched was information relating to a Shinra armoury in Sector 5. I have the address right here." Rufus took a second to memorize the plans for the warehouse.

"That must be it," Reno said, excited by the prospect of a lead. "Let's go," he directed the others as he was about to walk towards the exit.

"Wait a minute," Rufus stopped the redhead. He stood up and walked over to the safe, punching some numbers on the keypad. The safe opened, and Rufus reached in, taking out a shotgun and two handguns. He threw a pistol to Reno and Rude along with an extra clip each. Rufus swung the shotgun over his shoulder and walked over to his computer. He pressed three buttons on the keyboard, causing a secret door to open in the back of the room. "Now we can go," Rufus said before leading the boys through the concealed exit.

A speechless Reno and Rude look at each other with utter amazement before quietly following the blond through the secret egress.


	5. Chapter 5

The Sector 5 armoury looked like a prison from the outside with two sets of chain-linked fences both covered in barbed wire along the top. There were enough security cameras to cover every inch of the grounds and an armed vehicle patrolling the outside. With the Wutai war going on, Shinra had been doubling security around their armouries in the last few months. 

There were two towers located at the back corners of the warehouse armed with a guard on each tower. Two more guards were stationed at the gate while another one operated the security camera room.

Jerry and Mike were sitting in a booth located inside the main entrance.

"Tom, Paul, and Terry are late again," Jerry said with a yawn. Having been there all night, he was exhausted and eager to get home.

The guards posted at the front gate were on eight-hour shifts while the towers and the control booth security personnel were on twelve-hour. As soon as Jerry finished speaking, he noticed three figures in security guard attire walking up to the gate. Jerry recognized Paul, who was ahead of the group. The two guards trailing behind Paul had their heads down, concealing their faces.

"Hey, Paul!" Mike greeted his colleague, happy to know he was about to go home after a long night. He signalled to the camera to open the first gate. When it opened, Paul walked up to the second gate, so they were now faced to face. The other two with Paul were much slower and still had not reached the first gate. "Wow, Tom and Terry are slow this morning. Were you guys out partying again last night?"

As the slower guards entered through the first gate, it closed behind them, and the second gate began to open. As the stragglers approached, the other guard noticed that they had their eyes covered by their hats.

"What's with them?" he asked Paul. Usually, Tom and Terry would have greeted him by now.

"You're right, they partied too hard last night," Paul explained as he approached the booth. "They have major hangovers."

As the last gate shut behind Tom and Terry, they continued to stand silently as Paul, Mike, and Jerry entered the control post to sign off on shift change. Once they stepped inside the control room, Paul took out his gun and immediately fired at the guard operating the cameras before quickly turning to take out Mike and Jerry.

Paul stepped out of the room, signalling to his comrades, who were gang members in disguise. The building was tall enough so that the men occupying the towers couldn't see the guards in the front of the warehouse. The two gang members split up and walked around each side of the warehouse and up the tower to take out the remaining men guarding the perimeter. Once they neutralized all the security inside the compound, the gates opened.

Unaware of what was going on inside the fence, the patrol vehicle turned the corner when it suddenly slammed on the breaks for a young kid. Standing in the middle of the road was the young gang member, Tommy, from the Sector 2 train station. The security guard leaned out his side window to yell at the kid to move but came face to face with an older tattooed gang member holding a gun to his head. The gang member shot the guard in the head without hesitation, then opened the door. He pushed the body over so he could get into the driver's seat and drive the vehicle towards the opened gate.

+++++

The gates were opening when Veld, Tseng, and five Shinra officers arrive in an ally across from the Sector 5 armoury. Other than the gates opening for the parole vehicle, they don't see anything out of the ordinary. Veld noticed the lack of security around the entrance and looked down at his watch.

"It's eight-fifteen, the shift change should be over by now," Veld noted.

"Here they come," Tseng said, causing his boss to look down the street. Turning the corner, they observed a bus covered in scrap metal followed by a large eighteen-wheeler truck.

Just as they noticed the vehicles, Veld heard his PHS ring. He answered it and listened to someone over the phone before replying. "Radio to headquarters and have them send reinforces." He ended the call and looked at Tseng. "As expected, they're targeting the other two locations as well," he explained while putting his phone back in his pocket.

"What's the plan?" Tseng asked his superior.

"We have to fight our way in and stop them from reaching the safe," Veld explained to Tseng and the guards. He looked over to see the vehicles drive into the compound and towards the warehouse bay door that was being opened manually by two men.

Tseng took out his gun and nodded to his superior.

"Let's go," Veld directed before the small team rushed towards the warehouse.

+++++

Not much time had passed by the time the three young boys reach the same alleyway that Veld and Tseng were standing minutes earlier. The three boys look over to the armoury to see an old bus refurbished with scrap metal located in front of the opened gates. They could see over the bus and noticed that the door to the warehouse was open. As far as they could tell, there was no one outside of the building, but they could hear gunshots echoing inside.

"Let's go," Rufus said while holding the forend of his pump-action shotgun and cocking it with one hand.

The three took off towards the warehouse. They ran up to the bus and peeked their heads around to scope out the situation. There was an eighteen-wheeler backed up to an opened loading bay door. No one was outside, but the sound of the gunfire inside was intensifying. The trio ran over towards the big rig to see what was going on. Inside, Shinra guards and gang members were exchanging gunfire while ducking behind various objects for cover.

"We should find another way in," Rufus informed the two as he observed the action. "I think I remember seeing a back door in the plans, let's hope it's unlocked."

Rufus ran away from the truck and around the side of the warehouse. Reno and Rude followed the blond towards the back of the building and stopped when they reach the back door. Reno turned the handle, and the door clicked open.

"Be careful…" Rude said to Reno as he slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

The door opened into a big room separated from the commotion coming from the central part of the warehouse. Inside the room were two men surrounded by racks of guns and smaller weapons like grenades with a closed door in the middle. Two men had their backs to the boys and were busy loading the arms into large duffel bags. Rufus looked at Rude, signalling for him to retrieve his weapon while Reno held the heavy metal door open.

Without warning, Rufus barged in with his shotgun held up, aiming it at one of the gang members. Rude followed suit and pointed his weapon at the other.

"Hands up!" Rufus said as the men turned around to face the young boys.

One of the men probably thought the youths weren't going to shoot because he reached for the gun at his waist side, prompting Rufus to shoot him in the head. The back of the man's head exploded, leaving a mess on the wall behind him and some splattering the nearby gang member. The other man looked in shock at the sight of his dead friend. 

"The head? Was that necessary?" Reno asked Rufus. Reno grew up in the slums, and although he was no stranger to guns, he had yet to shoot someone. Reno always preferred his lighting materia since electricity was his strongest element.

"He was wearing a ballistic vest," Rufus explained, shrugging it off. It was apparent to the two boys that the blond was no stranger to this kind of thing.

Rude looked at the terrified man standing at the end of his barrel. "Get on your knees."

The trembling man obeyed, getting down on his knees. Rufus approached the man while slowly aiming his gun at his head. Standing behind the man, he hit him over the head with the butt of his shotgun, knocking him out instantly.

"Is that better?" Rufus asked the boys, who nodded in agreement.

With the room secured, the three of them planned their next move.


	6. Chapter 6

Tseng and Veld managed to make their way through the gunfire to the top tier of the warehouse, where they would find the mako bombs.

"I haven't seen their leader yet," Veld commented as he scanned the area.

"He could already be in the room," Tseng suggested to his mentor. "Where is it?"

"To the right," Veld replied. "You go check while I find the main control room and lock this place down." Veld was the only one of the two who knew how to activate the security system and the failsafe. No matter what, they couldn't let Baker leave with the mako bombs.

Tseng ran left towards the door located at the end of the walkway. He ran in with his gun drawn and noticed Baker standing next to a big piece of bulletproof glass with a big metal safe behind it. On the bulletproof glass was a keypad. Baker was about to reach for the keycard in his pocket when Tseng rushed in.

"Stop what you're doing," Tseng ordered as he walked into the room, aiming the gun at the target’s head.

Baker slowly raised his hands in compliance and turned around.

Suddenly, Tseng heard movement behind him and noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He quickly turned around, but it was too late. Another gang member fired at Tseng, who was quick enough to move out of the way but not quick enough to dodge the bullet entirely. It successfully hit Tseng’s forearm, causing him to drop his weapon.

Disarmed of his weapon, Tseng quickly used his fire materia to create a ball of fire that engulfed the gang member. It allowed Tseng enough time to reach for his gun and fire at the attacker, shooting him dead.

"Stop!" a voice yelled at Tseng from behind.

Tseng turned around to see Baker aiming a gun at him.

"Drop your gun, your materia, and any other weapons you may have," Baker ordered the young Turk.

Tseng complied, dropping the requested items. With Tseng now cornered and unarmed, he raised his hands in compliance while praying that Veld was having better luck with the security system.

+++++

Inside the gun room, Reno cracked open the door leading into the warehouse. He looked outside to see the Shinra guards and gang members still fighting and exchanging gunfire as they took cover throughout the building. To his left, he noticed a staircase leading to a floor above.

"I don't see Baker anywhere," Reno said, looking around. "He must be upstairs."

Reno looked back to see Rude directly behind him while Rufus was busy admiring the wall of weaponry. Rufus grabbed a newer looking rifle with a strap off the shelf and threw it over his shoulder. He then started filling his pockets with smoke bombs, ammunition, and grenades.

Reno was eager to find his target and did not have time for looting. He motioned for Rude to follow him, leaving the preoccupied Rufus behind. The two boys exited the room and slowly made their way towards the staircase.

Someone must have been guarding the door because as soon as they exited the room, a gang member stepped out from behind a big oil tank with his gun raised, aiming it at Rude.

Reno noticed the attacker and dived to push his friend out of the way. The man fired and missed Rude, but hit Reno in the shoulder. The two boys fell to the ground with Reno landing on Rude.

Reno grabbed his shoulder in pain. Suddenly, Rufus charged through the door with his shotgun loaded and hit the man in the upper chest, causing him to fall back. Four more gang members noticed Rufus shoot one of their own and ran over with their guns drawn.

"Reno, you go get Baker,” Rufus ordered as he pulled Reno up off the ground. "Rude and I will guard the stairs. The room Baker wants is up the stairs to your right.”

Reno ran up the stairs, still holding his injured arm. The gang members opened fire, but Reno stayed low, so the bullets deflected off the metal encasing the staircase. Rude and Rufus opened fire on the gang members as they sought cover behind a forklift.

"I need to go with Reno," Rude informed Rufus while he fired at the enemy. "He’s injured, and I have the healing potions and cure materia."

"We need to neutralize these guys first," Rufus explained as he dropped his empty shotgun and reached into his pocket for a grenade. He pulled the pin and threw it at the gang members who jumped out of the way as soon as it hit the floor. Without skipping a beat, he grabbed the new rifle hanging off his shoulder and opened fire, successfully hitting the remaining two men.

+++++

Reno raced down the walkway holding his wound. He found the closed door and could hear voices coming from inside. He then heard a gunshot followed by a man yelling.

Reno peeked into the room to see Baker aiming a gun at Tseng, who had his hands up in the air. He watched as Tseng lower some items onto the ground. Reno reached for his gun to shoot Baker but realized that Tseng was in his way, plus his arm was too injured to take a steady shot from this distance. He took out his lighting materia and focused on Baker, causing a massive bolt of lightning to strike the dark-eyed man. Baker screamed in pain as he fell to his knees.

Tseng looked back to see Reno, who threw him a gun. Baker slowly tried to stand up, but Tseng shot him in the thigh, causing him to fall back down and grab his leg in pain. Baker's gun dropped from his hand and onto the ground next to him.

"This one’s yours," Tseng said, handing the gun back to Reno.

Reno accepted the weapon from Tseng using his uninjured arm. He walked over and kicked Baker’s gun across the room. As Reno stood over the man, he gazed down at him with intense hatred and anger. 

"Remember me?" Reno asked Baker. The man peered into Reno's eyes. He must have noticed the scars because his eyes widened upon realizing who the kid was. "This is for my mother," Reno said before shooting the man in the forehead, killing him instantly as the force of the gunshot caused the body to lurch backwards. 

Reno took a few seconds to look at the dead man before bending down to retrieve the keycard next to the body. Holding his shoulder, Reno walked over to Tseng and handed him the card.

"Sorry about this," Reno said as Tseng accepted the card.

"It happens," Tseng replied, relieved that this event was almost over. "I need to find Veld," Tseng added as he retrieved his weapons and materia off the floor.

Tseng and Reno walked out of the room and down the walkway. They found Veld standing at the top of the staircase.

"I saw everything from the monitor in the control room," Veld informed the young Turk. "I would have assisted, but I needed to be ready to pull the failsafe should you fail. From what I could see on the cameras, it looks like the gang members are losing the battle downstairs.” Veld turned to Reno. “Did you bring a small army with you?"

"My friends are down there," Reno replied, remembering Rude and Rufus. He ran down the stairs with the two Turks following.

The three reached the bottom of the stairs to see the two boys taking cover behind an oil tank. Rude was hitting the enemy with the fire materia while Rufus was using his rifle. The materia Rude had was new, so it did little damage other than stun the enemy, allowing Rufus enough time to get a shot in.

"Rufus?" Veld asked, surprised to see the President's son.

Before Veld could say another word, two gang members opened fire. The three took cover with Veld while Tseng returned fire. Tseng critically hit one gang member with one remaining.

Rude handed Reno a potion, but Veld stopped him from using it.

"You have to remove the bullet before you can heal him," he directed the boys, then turned his attention back to the blond.

While Tseng peered out from behind the cover and opened fire, Veld addressed Rufus. "What are you doing here?" Veld asked the boy, crossly.

"They needed my help," Rufus said with a bit of a gin. He couldn't help but laugh when his father's employees tried to discipline him.

Veld rolled his eyes. "You know the President is going to hear about this," he said before opening fire on the final assailant while Tseng reloaded. Veld hit the gang member, allowing them to come out from hiding.

"You three stay here while we go see if the coast is clear," Tseng ordered the boys.

Veld and Tseng ran towards the front of the warehouse to see if any attackers remained. The three boys could hear a few gunshots in the distance, but it did not last long.

"Did you get him?" Rude asked Reno, but the look on his face said it all. Rude smiled, feeling relieved for his friend.

Minutes later, Tseng and Veld returned with their weapons down. Veld was on his phone, talking to the other Turks.

Veld put his phone away and turned to address Tseng. "They're okay," he informed the young Turk. "The other two armouries weren't hit as hard as this one. As suspected, this was their main target."

The two Turks and the three boys look at the destruction around them. The warehouse was riddled with bullet holes, and there were bodies of gang members and Shinra guards scattered on the ground. The surviving Shinra guards were already starting to collect the dead.

"Let's get back to the headquarters and get you some medical attention," Tseng said to Reno.

The three boys and two Turks exited the warehouse towards headquarters. As soon as they arrived, Tseng took Reno and Rude to the infirmary while Veld took Rufus to see his father. The doctor had just finished fixing up Reno when Rude and Tseng entered the room.

"Thanks for taking a bullet for me," Rude said to his friend.

“I did drag you into this mess," Reno replied with a smile. "Plus, I would take a bullet over your mother any day knowing what she would do to me if you got hurt." They both laughed, then Reno looked over at Tseng, who was watching the two. "I have to ask, Tseng, did you know we were going to find a way out of that cell?"

Tseng paused for a moment and smiled. "Call it a test.” Tseng usually didn't smile, but there was something about these boys he liked. They were brave, skilled, loyal, resourceful, and they were starting to grow on him. "You know," he said, looking from one boy to the other. "You two would make excellent Turks. If you're interested, I can help you get into the academy in a few years."

"Thanks," Reno and Rude replied.

“And in return, I’ll promise never to lift anything from you again,” Reno said jokingly.

“I’ll hold you on it,” Tseng replied.

Tseng shook both their hands then left to write the mountains of paperwork and briefing notes resulting from this incident. He almost forgot the fact that he was in the middle of another job before all this even happened, making the last twenty-four hours a significant setback.

Meanwhile, Reno and Rude returned home, where they both received a very angry lecture from Rude's mother.

And for the record, Reno was almost able to keep his promise about not stealing anything from Tseng, with one exception. It was many years later after Reno became a Turk, he lifted Tseng’s phone to prank text a particular blond female co-worker.


End file.
